The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) empowers special education teachers, advocates, and professionals with practical training, trusted resources, and meaningful connections - supporting those who make a difference in the lives of students with diverse learning needs.
Happy Friday! We hope you have an awesome summer weekend! Here's the news you may have missed this week
Coverage of the Education Department's plans to outsource special education oversight to Health and Human Services continued this week, as a national coalition of special educators formally opposed the interagency agreement. A federal judge also ruled that grants cannot be revoked simply because a new administration has different agency goals, offering a check on federal grant cancellations. Join NASET on August 6th for a special education briefing as the school year begins.
On the policy and diagnosis front, The Atlantic examined the rise of the mild autism diagnosis and what it means for how autism is understood, the Justice Department deemed major ADA guidance "not enforceable," and new reporting revealed how Medicaid disabled patients in Michigan have been denied benefits through a Deloitte-run eligibility system.
Follow-up coverage of last month's GAO report continued, with new reporting showing students with disabilities are increasingly served in general education classes and spending more time in mainstream classrooms. New reporting also went inside a summer school program for special education students, and examined why keeping the same pre-K teacher for two years benefits kids.
On the district and state front, Connecticut's new special education law changes are drawing scrutiny, the New York City Council approved a wage increase for school paraprofessionals, Chicago Public Schools is coping with a sharp rise in special education needs and costs, and LAUSD special education teachers are worried that historic class size limits negotiated for this fall may not hold.
On the literacy front, as Massachusetts embraces the science of reading, experts expect results to take time while New York proposed new science of reading teacher preparation rules, and a new study found that the prospect of third-grade retention can meaningfully improve early literacy.
Add your thoughts to the break room and grab worksheets, webinars, trivia below!
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Hello from the NASET Break Room - our quick pulse check on the state of special education based on trending posts and questions we saw online this week.
Last Week:
Do you think early intervention in special education makes a meaningful difference in long-term outcomes?
Yes, but only when done with quality support 💪 (54%)
Have students on your caseload ever missed services because of transportation failures?
No, transportation is handled reliably ✅ (35%)
Have you ever flagged a compliance concern internally that your administration ignored?
No, my admin takes concerns seriously ✅ (43%)
How would you describe your experience managing paraprofessionals as a special education teacher?
One of the hardest parts of the job 😤
Challenging but we've found our rhythm 🔄
Mostly smooth - communication is key 💪
I don't supervise paras in my role 🤷♀️
Have you ever worked with a student you suspected had both autism and ADHD but only one was formally diagnosed?
Yes, this happens regularly 🎯
Yes, once or twice 👀
I'm not sure - I may have missed it 🤔
No, our evaluations seem to catch both ✅
Do you feel your school adequately prepares students with IEPs for life after graduation?
No - transition planning is an afterthought 😔
We try but resources are too limited 😬
We have a solid transition program 💪
Transition isn't part of my role 🤷♀️
🌟 Advance your special education career with a NASET Board Certification.
Choose from 5 certifications covering advocacy, IEP development, inclusion, classroom management, and leadership. CEU and graduate credit eligible, with 3-month payment plans available. Members save 15%.
📋 Join over 1,400 NASET certified professionals today!
🙋TUESDAY August 25th at 7pm EST: Kids Do Well If They Can: Rethinking Concerning Behavior in Special Education with Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model Join New York Times Bestselling author of The Explosive Child, Dr. Ross Greene, for part 1 of a 2 part webinar series on tools which actually reduce discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, restraint, and seclusion in both general education and special education classrooms. This is a must-attend session!
👩💻 Register Today | Free for NASET Members
📋 Participate in Special Education Research
Seeking K-12 special educators with experience working with twice exceptional (2e) students 👉Review details and compensation here →
Seeking elementary special education teachers with experience implementing specially designed instruction (SDI) 👉Review details here →
Seeking school-based staff who work with students who receive special education services under the autism category of IDEA 👉Review details and compensation here →
📚From the NASET Vault
➡️ Practical Teacher Series: The Educational Benefits of Art Museums for Students with Disabilities
🎓 Earn graduate credit with NASET for under $150! Through our partnership with Augustana University, we offer 2 graduate credit eligible courses for under $150.
✅ Complete coursework in our related services or IEP implementation course!
⬇️ NASET Support Squad Downloads of the Week Understanding Psychoeducational Evaluation Reports and Creating Effective Inclusion Action Plans Scroll down to instantly download ⬇️
THE LEAD: SPECIAL EDUCATION OUTSOURCING & COURT PUSHBACK
POLICY & DIAGNOSIS
INCLUSION & CLASSROOM PRACTICE
DISTRICT & STATE ACTION
LITERACY, READING & EARLY EDUCATION
Looking for a new role? Join the NASET Talent Network!
🚀 Ready for your Master’s Degree?
Augustana University's M.Ed. in Special Education (K-12) is built for teachers who are already in the classroom. Flexible enough for a full teaching load, rigorous enough to move your career forward.
📚 Not sure the SPED track is your fit? Augustana offers other M.Ed. options worth exploring.
🗓️ Curious? Augustana is hosting a virtual info session on Thursday, August 13th from 4:30-5:00pm CST. Thirty minutes, straight from the people who run the program.
Shout Out to Last Week’s Winners Who Correctly Answered, “Momentary Time Sampling” View the winners list here!
This Week's Question:
Which 1988 Supreme Court case prohibited schools from unilaterally excluding dangerous students during dispute proceedings?
Correctly answer 3 or more trivia questions each month to be eligible for a gift card! We had 19 winners in June!
What’s one resource you’ll be looking for this summer? Reply to this email and let us know!
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